Texarkana

Texarkana is a pair of adjacent cities that straddle the border between Texas and Arkansas in the southern United States. Texarkana, Texas lies in Bowie County, and Texarkana, Arkansas lies in Miller County. The two municipalities form the core of the Texarkana metropolitan area and are linked by a continuous urban area that sits on the state line. Interstates and highways such as Interstate 30 and U.S. routes connect the cities with Dallas–Fort Worth to the west and Little Rock to the east.

The name Texarkana is a blend of Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana, reflecting the tri-state region. The cities developed in the late 19th century around the expansion of the Texas and Pacific Railway and the location of the boundary between the two states. Each city maintains its own municipal government, with services and regulations administered on its respective side of the state line.

As of recent estimates, Texarkana, Texas and Texarkana, Arkansas each have populations in the tens of thousands, with the combined metro area home to roughly sixty thousand residents. The economy has historically relied on transportation, trade, healthcare, education, and retail, supported by the two-state market and the nearby rail corridor. The twin-city structure supports cross-border commerce and services central to the Four States region.

Education is served by institutions in both states, including Texas A&M University–Texarkana on the Texas side and the University of Arkansas at Texarkana on the Arkansas side, along with Texarkana College. The area features a historic downtown, parks, and cultural institutions that reflect its cross-border character.

Texarkana is noted in national folklore for events such as the Texarkana Moonlight Murders of the 1940s, and today the twin cities function as a regional center for commerce, education, and culture in the Four States area.